Wanderlust

[Anonymous]

Mr. Homme, dour as always, wandered through the town. He looked rich, he was wearing nice pants and a long sleeved jacket of clearly high thread count. Over his shoulder he carried a rather large and cumbersome looking cello case. His dark blue hair was tied in a ponytail, a couple strands of his hair falling out and occasionally straying into his line of sight. He didn't carry too much on him, but he did have a leather satchel he kept over his shoulder.

He didn't seem to be paying too much heed to where he was going. His emerald eyes merely kept to the cobblestone in front of him. He didn't even seem to care too much where he was headed. Those assumptions were largely true. He didn't need to know where he was going, so long as that place wasn't where he was right now. He could feel them, watching... Well, not now he couldn't but at night, when he closed his eyes...

[Anonymous]

She'd been lurking in the shadows of the place, mostly unseen save for a few others with which she shared these shadows. Silent, they passed one another, an understanding between them; it seemed that, even among thieves, there were unspoken codes. So long as you found your own target, you were left well enough alone.

And Melli found hers long ago. She stood against the wall of a building, her small, short frame easily disguised among the shadows. That leather satchel over his shoulder - she'd been watching it for a while now, following, waiting for the opportune moment. As a thief, she'd come to learn that there was no such thing as a true perfect moment in which she could lurch forward, only a judgment on the spot. But she was still cautious as always, nervous what with her frail frame.

But she'd get it all the same. At least, this is what she thought as she stepped out of the shadows, speeding towards his unwatched back with a particularly sharp knife in her hand. But she didn't go towards him with the intention of hurting him, no; instead, she slipped the knife underneath the satchel's strap on his shoulders, and tugged sharply.

She'd misjudged the strength of the leather. It didn't come away in her hands like she hoped, and though she knew she needed to retreat - and fast - she kept tugging, desperately hoping that it might come away. Luckily she was a pretty fast runner...

[Anonymous]

As soon as he felt the slightest resistance to his walking, he stopped. Without a moment's notice he turned around on his heel, his hand reaching for the hand that held her dagger. His grip was firm, but not painful. She wasn't going anywhere, though. His emerald eyes widened as she saw that she had a weapon. And it was a girl! This wasn't normal. He stood there for a few seconds, simply staring down at his captive thief, his other hand grabbing her other upper arm.

Unfortunately, she had been followed as well, and as soon as she darted out from the shadows at her target, they began to move. Fortunately for her, the guards were foolish enough to let a crowd separate them from their quarry. He turned his eyes from the little thief and to the guards. Well, he couldn't just let her get caught, now could he?

He used what physical strength he had to pull her into a nearby darkened alley, pressing her body up against the stone wall of the building. They were cast in shadow once more, his frame pressed against her own, using the cello case to hide their visages. He listened carefully, his hand still holding tight her armed hand, the other bracing against the wall. His head pressed for a moment against hers. Once he heard them pass, he shifted his cello case back on his shoulder fully.

"That wasn't very nice of you." he said, staring down at her. He still refused to let her go.

[Anonymous]

A hiss escaped her throat as she discovered both of her arms tight in his grasp; she attempted to squirm free, but suddenly he was moving, and her with him. She was practically being dragged, though she made sure she stayed well on her feet; she couldn't risk losing her balance and him having her entirely in his grasp.

Soon he had her pressed up against a wall, and she was scowling, hissing again. She'd purposely chosen him as a target not only because he looked rich, but also because he didn't look like some sort of pervert at first glance, just in case she flubbed the whole thing. But apparently he was, and she was blushing slightly, though her squirming became a lot stronger. She couldn't resist well enough to stab his arm with her dagger like she wanted, so panicking, she relaxed, allowing the dagger to drop to the ground. Perhaps that's what he wanted...

But then she heard them, too, passing by, their shouts echoing in the otherwise empty alley. Silencing herself immediately, her heavy breathing slowed to tiny, quiet gasps, and she merely scowled at the man who was holding her, her blush increasing considerably.

"Why would you do that?" She asked when she thought they were in the clear, her eyes meeting his. "If you plan on exchanging some sort of service of mine for your silence, then feel free to call for the guards. I'm not interested."

[Anonymous]

For all her hissing and struggling, he didn't seem to have anything to say. There wasn't any noticeable change in his expression, either. Merely calmness, almost a serene sort of gaze as he looked down to her. At her question, he inhaled softly, his foot moving to stand on the blade of the weapon so that she couldn't get it if she somehow got out of his grasp -- which was unlikely, but he wasn't a man to take chances.

"I'm not either. You just seem to be in far more danger than me at the moment." He said, glancing out the alleyway. He was trusting her for a moment not to do anything like headbutt him... he turned his head back to her. "I think you're allright now. They're long gone, I think. " he said. He eyed her carefully, still not releasing her, but moving away from her enough so that he wasn't pressed firmly against her like he was.

"Why did you try to steal from me?" he asked, getting right to the point. His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then softened a bit. "You aren't hungry, are you?"

[Anonymous]

He didn't answer her question, she noticed - why would he have helped her out at all? Letting the guards catch her - wouldn't that be of benefit to him? Her brow furrowed, a scowl still on her lips as he backed away, though she was able to relax a bit better now that he wasn't breathing down her neck.

Was she hungry? Her expression flickered for a moment; she hadn't thought of food in a while. Honestly, she was just trying to get her hands on some raw gold, considering she hadn't found anything of interest around here so far, and she needed to be returning some kind of news to her uncle soon. But as he mentioned it, of course she was, but that feeling, that gnawing at the pit of her stomach, had become normal to her.

Unfortunately for her, however, in her silence her stomach growled, and her scowl weakened to a rather blank expression. Looking away, she shook her head. "No. That's not why I tried to rob you," she said, squirming one of her wrists slightly, hoping that he'd at least let one arm go. Obviously she'd been unsuccessful in robbing him, and obviously he didn't seem too malicious - but why was he still holding onto her? Was he going to lecture her? Sighing, she relaxed against the wall, waiting.

[Anonymous]

Her stomach growled. A hint of a smirk, maybe just a twitch at one edge of his lips appeared. She was hungry. He supposed he could understand that. And she was proud too. She didn't want to admit she was stealing for food. Well, indirectly. She probably wanted to steal his goods, sell it, and get food. Probably. "If I let you go, will you stay here? I can make you some food. I won't make you food, though, if you try and rob me again or try to hurt me." he said.

He continued, his grip on her formerly armed hand loosening just the slightest. "And I'm afraid I don't carry much money on me. I don't need to buy too much. So I'm afraid I'm a poor target anyway." he said. He gave her a hint of a smile, glancing out of the alleyways again. No sign of guards. Finally, he released her hand and moved away from her, but didn't step off of her dagger.

He reached into the satchel that she had tried to steal. He showed her the contents. A notebook and a single bag, as well as a couple other useless trinkets. Flint and tinder. A piece of string. Chalk. A vial of... something clear? "See? Nothing." he said. He pulled from the satchel one of the long sticks of chalk and the bag. He bent down and picked up her dagger, holding onto it.

He set the bag down and, while kneeling, began to draw a complex looking circle with the chalk on the cobblestone. It wasn't very large, maybe a foot across at most. It was near perfect too. It was clear he did this quite often. A couple runes decorated the transmutation circle, but it wasn't too complex.

He took the bag and took out a handful of whatever was in it... Some kind of grain? Wheat grains. He then removed the vial from the satchel and opened it, pouring some of the water onto the grains. "You can't give what you don't have." he murmured, smirking to himself. He corked the vial and put it back in his satchel, along with the bag of grains. What in the world was he going to do with those soggy oats in that circle?

That question was answered, soon. He placed his hands on either side of the transmutation circle, and the chalk drawing began to glow. With a bright flash of light that illuminated the alleyway for a split second, the transmutation finished. The transmutation circle was gone, turned into a puff of smoke dissipating into the air. A loaf of bread remained. He smirked to her, picking up the loaf of bread. Using her dagger, he cut off a piece of the bread and ate it, offering her the dagger and the loaf as he chewed. Well, if he ate it, clearly it wasn't poisonous... and it smelled so fresh and delicious...

[Anonymous]

Stay here? Why would she do that? And why in the world was he planning on feeding her? She was tempted to just grab her dagger and leave when he started to extract things from his satchel, so she stayed, keeping her hopeful eyes on the items he had in his hands. But nothing was of use, so she scowled again, feeling mocked. He was right - if she'd stolen the satchel, she would have come away with nothing but crap she couldn't use.

However, curiosity kept her rooted to the spot, as suddenly he was drawing on the ground and - watering some wheat grains? She made a face, wondering if this man was mad. That would certainly explain his reasoning for helping her out instead of reporting her, and his delusion that he was somehow going to feed her by doing all of this.

But suddenly, the alleyway flashed in light, and she yelped a little, backing against the wall. Where the grains had been before was instead a loaf of bread, and he was... handing it to her? She merely watched him as he ate it, her stomach growling; how long had it been since she'd eaten? A couple of days? Longer? Regardless, she couldn't hold off long, and she took the bread from him, eating it quickly, desperately. Somehow she hadn't imagined it to be this good, much less this filling; she hadn't bothered with cutting a slice, so much as burying her face in the entire loaf.

Once she felt a little better, her face resurfaced, and she looked over at him, her eyes wide. How, exactly, had he done that? If she could master something like that, then, well - she wouldn't have to worry about traveling the entire continent to find the things that her uncle wanted, would she?

But she was skeptical, nervous. Swallowing her last bite, she lowered the loaf, wiping her mouth off with her arm. "Why?" She only asked, truly confused; though his actions were mostly simple, no one had gone this far to simply feed and protect a thief in her experience. "And... how?" Now she was pointing to the ground, where the chalk had been just moments before, her brow furrowed.

[Anonymous]

She seemed impressed with this parlor trick of his. It wasn't even good alchemy! That was one of the first things novices learned -- how to turn grains into bread! It didn't even need any catalysts, or special runes, or certain placements, or even bloodletting! No, that was an easy one. She could probably learn it in a week if she tried hard enough.

"Why not? You seem pretty desperate. Desperate enough to try and steal from a bard." he said with a smirk. He brushed a hand through his stray strands of hair, tucking them behind his ear. At her other question, he merely looked up at her. "Alchemy." he said. He watched her devour the loaf, pleased with her reaction and that she seemed at least amicable now that she had food in her belly. Surely she had heard the stories -- the philosopher's stone, lead into gold, all that...

"Sorry I don't have any dried meat to offer you. I tend to travel light." he said. He smirked at her, wondering if she would laugh at his joke, considering he had a rather large and cumbersome looking cello case over his shoulder. He packed up his things and stood, dusting himself off.

[Anonymous]

Now that her stomach was full, she merely blinked at him as he spoke. A bard? Then what was with the rich-looking getup? She wondered for a small moment if he was a thief, too; perhaps that's why he'd helped her out back there. Just saving both of their tails - sure, it was easy enough to believe. Easier to believe than a random act of compassion.

But her lips upturned into a small smile at his apology for not having dried meat, though she wasn't sure why. The smile felt foreign and strange on her face, and she didn't like it; she wanted to wipe it away. So she covered it with her hand, looking quite awkward for a moment.

"I... uh..." She started nervously; now that her voice didn't contain traces of hiss, she wasn't sure how to speak, either. But it wasn't as if she could be cruel to this man, not at all. He'd helped her out when she hadn't even asked. "Thank you," she said quietly, watching him, her brow furrowed. As he packed up, she watched - was he leaving now? Just as simple as that?

Curiosity bounced around in her mind; she couldn't let him leave like this. "How did you learn?" She finally asked, merely blinking at him again, unsmiling. "I..."

How could she explain that she knew nothing of magic, though she was a mage herself? Of course, she was sure he heard the stories of Connlaoth; perhaps that's all she had to explain at all. Then again, she didn't want to at all, either, as she didn't really want this man to know anything about her, not after that strange act of compassion. Already he had the upper hand on her, though she wasn't sure how, and she didn't like it.

[Anonymous]

"You are most welcome, ma'am." he said, lowering his head slightly in a polite bow. This man was a gentleman and a scholar. He had been nothing but nice to her, even after she had attempted to rob him of what little he owned. He did look a little out of place in that getup, wandering the streets. She didn't know those were the only clothes he owned at the moment, or that he wore the same thing every day.

He was about to step out of the alleyway when her voice called his attention back to her. He blinked at her question. How did he learn? He thought for several long moments before answering quite simply, "Practice. Lots and lots of practice. And studying. Many long hours of studying. " he said. He thought to himself. His instructor wasn't so great at instructing, but he was great at inspiring and pointing him in the right direction. Why instruct when the greatest minds on the subject had already written books that were available?

Sure, his instructor had helped him understand the material, but learning all the strokes and runes and learning to use chalk and all the different possible combinations... that was all Ecce. He began to awkwardly side step away from her, out into the setting sunlight peeking through the buildings into the bazaar.

[Anonymous]

Melli had nothing to say in response, so she merely watched him as he stepped away from her, back into the light. She still hadn't moved from the wall he pushed her against, and she relaxed against it, sighing as she let her eyes unfocus, staring aimlessly at the ground below her.

Practice? Studying? Neither of those things had been something she ever wasted her time with, other than practice with her bow and arrow, obviously. A childhood friend taught her that specifically, and even then she was lucky to have kept in practice. But something like that? Something like what he just did? She seriously doubted if she'd ever be good enough to do something like that.

He was gone, and she was left alone in the alleyway, but she wasn't going to let him escape - not that easily. She'd follow him, still in the shadows - besides, he still had something for her to steal, though it wasn't in physical form. She could steal his intelligence, his example, and apply it to herself. So, peering around the corner of the alley, she half-stepped into the light herself. How could she pull this whole following thing without seeming creepy?

[Anonymous]

He had a feeling she was going to follow him. He didn't let it bother him, though. She could follow. She should know better by now that stealing from him would be foolish. He wandered through the bazaar, eventually leaving the city. She wouldn't have anything to hide behind now, as the dirt road stretched out into the distance. No trees around, either. Outside the gate there were the fields... Not much else.

He nodded to the guards as he passed by, adjusting the cello case on his shoulder. Perhaps wandering around at night wasn't the best idea. The sun was slowly setting and he would likely have to set up camp. It wouldn't be that hard, but... He suspected she was still following him. He'd have to take her into account, too, most likely. He continued walking down the dirt road, but at a slower pace. She'd have to catch up to him, right?

[Anonymous]

Melli watched him move silently, keeping very close all the while. Here and there she would get distracted by a particularly vulnerable situation and steal, but she always seemed to catch up; somehow it seemed like he was purposely allowing her to follow. But once she reached the dirt roads, she felt odd, uncomfortable. There was nothing to hide in now, so she waited by the gates until he was far enough ahead that he wouldn't recognize her behind him.

However, he seemed to slow, and she cursed herself internally for even following him. Now there was nothing to do but bite the bullet - show her face. Which she did. Now she was speeding up slightly, her footsteps audible to him, though she wasn't sure what she'd say once he turned to her.

Could she ask so suddenly? It was obvious she'd been following him for a while now - would it seem so strange if she suddenly asked him to teach her magic? Probably. But she'd wait and see all the same.

[Anonymous]

"I don't know what you're getting out of stalking me like this, ma'am." he said, rather loudly, glancing over his shoulder at her. He adjusted the strap on his cellocase. That thing got pretty heavy after a while. After a few more steps he stopped fully and turned around to face her. What in the world could she want from him? More food? Maybe that was it. Though, she did eat that whole loaf of bread, she couldn't possibly be hungry for more. Maybe she wanted some for later? He didn't know.

"If you wanted more food, all you had to do was ask. You don't need to be afraid of me. I can't hurt you." he said. Well, he could, theoretically. But she was a lady. He knew better.

[Anonymous]

Stalking? Melli was taken aback; she scowled in spite of herself, crossing her arms over her chest. She was hardly stalking, merely following. Surely he was smart enough to realize that what she'd seen back there had been fascinating, and that she was certainly interested in finding out more about it. Otherwise, why would she follow him?

"It's not food," Melli said quickly, hints of annoyance in her tone. "And I'm far from stalking you. I want to know more about how you did what you did back there. I..."

Now she was irritated and could hardly get her true intent out. She wanted him to teach her, sure, but she wasn't going to beg.

[Anonymous]

He had a hint. But he didn't really think she had it in her to learn alchemy. It wasn't something you could just, you know, waggle your fingers and accomplish. He remembered spending weeks learning how to draw a line correctly. It took him almost an entire year to perfect his circle -- then it was all a matter of putting those two things together. Penmanship was important.

Her words confirmed his laden suspicion. The side of his mouth twitched into a half smile, and he finished where she left off "-- want to learn more about Alchemy. I see." he said. He looked to the slowly setting sun on the horizon before turning back to her. "I'm not old enough to take an apprentice, you know. And I'm not exactly sure how you would pay me." he said. He gave her a once over with his emerald eyes. "I don't have any use for company of... women." he said. "No offense. And not that you're not attractive. I just stay out of that sort of thing." he said, quickly covering his bases.

[Anonymous]

Melli gritted her teeth, struggling for the words to say. She wasn't exactly used to human contact past the initial, "hey, give me that back!" with people she didn't know very well, so it was hard for her to convey exactly what it was that she needed. So instead, she watched him as he spoke, letting a breath escape through her teeth.

"Not alchemy," she practically hissed, "necessarily." She paused, thinking - alchemy could be useful, but that's not exactly what her mind was on at the moment. Instead, she was thinking more along the lines of magic in general. Never before had she attempted to master such a thing, and never before had she taken it upon herself to find someone to help her - but this guy was different, somehow. He'd already helped her out once before, so perhaps she could exploit his Good Samaritan tendencies for herself.

"Magic," she said simply, watching him for a response.

"Ah, nevermind," she said after a moment, waving her hand at him. It was true - she didn't have anything to offer him, and she hadn't really planned on any kind of compensation. She'd already troubled him enough, hadn't she? "Just forget it."

[Anonymous]

Waggling their fingers, willing things to happen. He wasn't so sure about that. He saw the corruption that the misuse of magic could have on a person. Magic addiction was a very real thing. That being said, he did practice a singular branch of the arcane, one almost as old as time itself. Mainly druids focused on it, and it was a fickle, indifferent sort of magic. But if he was able to learn even that, maybe he could teach her how to use magic. Most likely a more common school, but he could see that it could be done.

That being said, he wasn't exactly enthralled with doing it. "Well... I could teach you to learn." he said. "I .. don't really know a whole lot of magic. I've only studied one school well enough to defend myself with it, but... I could teach you how to learn. " he said. Learning how to learn was probably one of the greatest skills you can acquire. He looked to her. "But like I said. I don't think you could exactly pay me. " he said, looking at her seriously. "What do you have to offer me in return?" He asked, not condescendingly, but actually inquiring.

[Anonymous]

He could teach her to learn... truthfully, that's all she wanted in the first place, though she hadn't known how to ask the question. It was similar to reading for her; if she hadn't been taught how to do it, she never could have learned some of the things books had to offer. So she had to learn the basics of it - magic - before she could really master it.

He seemed more inclined to teach her now, but he was stalling now, asking for something in return. She stood there, speechless, unsure of what she could possibly have that she might want. He hadn't asked for anything in return in the alley - he hadn't asked for anything in return for that bread. Somehow she hadn't figured that he would eventually want something back.

"I, uh..." She stopped here, nervous, wringing her hands together in worry. She had her own skills, sure - homemaking skills she'd been taught as a girl and a slave that didn't really make much of a difference out in the wild like this. "I don't know." She looked to the side, her cheeks tinging a slight shade of pink.

"All I know are archery and potionmaking," she said, a sigh escaping her throat. "Cooking, too, and other useless tasks..." She was thinking out loud now, pondering what could be of use to him. "I'll do anything, though - I... you just tell me what you want, and I'll do it if you teach me. Please."